Every summer we end up in the same debate: do Rangers gamble on the player who’s just had one big season, or do we demand a longer track record before spending proper money? The Miovski argument, to be fair, is that it’s not just one hot streak. The claim is he’s put together two good seasons, and that matters when you’re talking about a fee that’s being floated around the £5m mark.

The fee looks heavy, but so does the profile

Let’s not kid ourselves, £5m is not pocket change in our world. It’s the kind of outlay that has to improve the first XI, or at least clearly raise the level of the squad. But if you’re looking for a big, physical presence up front, Miovski ticks that basic “focal point” box straight away. Six foot four, a target to hit early, someone who can occupy centre-halves and give Rangers an out-ball when the game gets scrappy.

That’s often what’s missing in tight Scottish Premiership afternoons when teams sit in and the tempo dies. You need somebody who can win contact, bring others in, and still get on the end of things.

Pressing, flexibility, and why it matters under Danny Rohl

The other part of the appeal is the work off the ball. If you’re buying into the idea that Rangers under Danny Rohl want to press properly, then you need forwards who don’t switch off when they’re not scoring. The suggestion here is Miovski has a high work rate and does the pressing side of it, which isn’t a nice extra, it’s the job.

There’s also the versatility angle. If he’s genuinely comfortable off either wing as well as through the middle, that gives the manager options without needing a full reshuffle. Rangers squads always look better when we’ve got two or three attackers who can swap lanes during a game and not look lost.

Numbers are only part of it, but they’re not nothing

Scoring 18 with an xG of 17 is being used as a simple indicator: he’s getting into the right areas and finishing roughly as expected, rather than living off wonder strikes. That’s usually a better sign than someone overperforming wildly for a few months and then vanishing.

Of course, stats don’t tell you everything. Rangers need to know how he copes with the expectation at Ibrox, the scrutiny, and the weeks where you’re playing against a packed box and getting no space at all. That’s where scouting and character checks matter as much as any model.

And yes, the Holland spell gets mentioned as a red flag. But plenty players have struggled abroad and come back stronger. If anything, bouncing back can show a bit of mentality.

So where do I land on it? If the price is fixed and we’re forcing it, I’d be cautious. But if there’s any room to negotiate and Rangers see him as one for the future, it’s exactly the kind of deal the recruitment staff should be assessing properly. A third striker role, with time to grow into it, can be a smart way to take the risk without staking the full season on it.

Written by Angus1812: 20 January 2026

Tags: spfl tactics transfers